My career calling ... what should I do?

My daughter, Nyia, and I were lounging around today and casually watching a super low-tier PGA Golf tournament - The Zurich Classic, played in New Orleans. While we watched she started asking questions about the tournament which was just winding up with one or two holes to play.

Because I'm an advocate of any of my kids showing an interest in golf, my energy was piqued in engaging her further in conversation. I tried to explain a minor level of drama that was ensuing on the 18th hole, a par 5 (the tournament is on such an off week that hardly any well known players were playing - and I now can't even myself remember the players who were playing in the final group). I explained to Nyia that if unheralded player A could *possibly* reach the green in two, that he would have at least a tiny bit of opportunity to tie unheralded player B (a guy named Jason Bohn), who was 2 shots ahead. Well, unheralded player A did reach the green in two, albeit he was left with a 45 foot double-breaker with a camel back hump to navigate. Our interest was heightened for about 10 seconds until Jason Bohn hit is 3rd shot from about 100 yards out to settle literally about 2 inches from the cup. Game over. Bohn with his certain birdie would win by 1 stroke, even if unheralded player A made his 45 foot circus putt.

Nyia asked me, "So how much money does he get for that [winning the tournament]?" I explained PGA Tour golf purse growth since the Tiger Woods factor, and that Jason Bohn, who has only won one other tournament in his PGA Tour career five years ago, would win a little over a million dollars for this 4 day tournament victory. She then asked me about the other guy - the guy who now was for certain getting second place all by himself. I told her that this other guy, who's name I cannot remember, would probably be getting money in the mid $600K range. And I threw in the added bit of information (because I *always* give more than I'm asked for :-)) that the very last place player who made the cut this week, even in this completely unheralded PGA Tour tournament, would probably be making around $15K for this weeks' activity.

Nyia does not have a very detailed view into our family finances- however even she is plugged in enough to know that in my present state of income generation activity, I don't make $15K in a week. It took about 3 seconds and the 25 watter started to light up over her head (or at least I thought I saw it flicker). "Hey dad! YOU should do THAT!"

And so it is. Tomorrow I'm quitting my job and will be joining the PGA Tour.... Why didn't I think of that YEARS ago instead of spending all that time in graduate school and years of travel in project management, and the rigors of trying to make quota as a software sales executive?

I did complete the discussion with providing information on how difficult it is to become a professional golfer, the skills needed, the qualifications process and so on. While it's true that I have played a few holes of golf to perfection, and I have broken 80 one time in my life, even shooting just PAR golf in every round you play will not allow you to make a living as a professional golfer --- you could probably *teach* golf as a scratch golfer, but if I took my best 72 holes from my last 18 ROUNDS of golf, I probably would not have equaled the -17 that Jason Bohn shot just this week in 4 rounds of golf. Nyia... thanks for the tip, but I'll stick with software sales for now.

Speaking of careers, I often wonder how people make it in the advertising business (at least after seeing a few different commercials that seem so oddly flawed). This business makes its money on producing deliverables based on the idiocy of the general public. Or, put differently, they must think we are DUMB.

Case in point- some advertising agency was paid a boat load of money, undoubtedly, to come up with an advertising campaign for Gillette Fusion razor blades. These are the razor blades that have gone to steroidal levels beyond the brilliant idea of my childhood, when the first 'double bladed' razor was introduced. Yes, now it seems that FIVE Titanium blades are required to shave men's faces... but I digress.... What this advertising agency came up with for a 30 second spot is the idea of bringing a guy into an 'auto shop' like experience, with the 'Razor Mechanic' putting a giant Fusion razor blade up on a lift, and talking to the unknowing razor blade consumer about what he sees now that the razor is on the lift (pointing to the blades area with a worn down lube strip) "You see here? When this strip wears out, you need to think about replacing the head to get the kind of performance you want out of your razor." Ahhh... the guy appears to be understanding...

So which is it Gillette? Is the Five *Titanium* blade razor head the best beard cutting evolution ever developed, OR are they so limited in their capacity that they really can't outlast a dissolvo-goop-strip? Frankly, I'm siding with the blades. I can get a month out of my Fusion blade head and besides shaving my face, I also shave my entire head a few times a week while in the shower. Gillette - if you want a poster boy for how good your blades are, don't put a giant razor on a car lift and tell people the blades can barely outlast the lube strip, bring in a guy like me who shaves face and head all the time, and have me tell the consumer that the only blades they'll ever need to buy are the Gillette Fusion Titanium blades. I get it- I know they want greater blade turnover in the consumer's medicine cabinet - but trying to increase consumption by insinuating the consumer is an idiot by trying to convince him the five blade head only lasts about a day per blade makes me want to grow a beard and never use the product again.

But me as a mini-Hagrid would not be a pretty sight.